Tethered plastic screw stopper

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to tethered plastic stopper having a closure shell and a tamper band that separably connected to the closure shell by a plurality of bridges that connect a bottom edge of the closure shell to a top edge of the tamper band. Each bridge is configured to be stretched and broken when the closure shell is moved from a first orientation prior to opening to a second orientation after opening. The stopper further includes a strip and a hinge. The strip is intended to connect to the closure shell at a junction point and has an extremity located at an end of the top weakness line positioned above a first set of bridges located along the bottom weakness line. The hinge is intended to link the strip and the tamper band. The hinge is positioned beneath a set of bridges located along the top weakness line.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a tethered plastic screw stopper.

BACKGROUND

In the field of liquid packaging, it is very common to seal the apertureof a container with a stopper, often made from a plastic material. Suchcontainer is usually a plastic or glass bottle, but other materials maybe used as well.

The stopper has a tubular shape closed at its top edge by a top wall.The stopper comprises a roof attached to a tamper shell through bridges.Bridges are distributed around the circumference of the roof and thetamper shall. The bridges may be made when molding the stopper or afterthrough undergoing a cutting step during the manufacturing process.

Usually the bottle neck includes outer fixation feature, such asthread(s) for screw type stopper or annular fixation rings for snap typestopper, to secure the stopper on the bottle neck.

For screw type stoppers, the tamper shell comprises inner thread(s)arranged inside side walls. The bottle neck fixation feature may includeouter thread(s). Such combination of outer and inner thread(s) allowsthe stopper to be screwed on a bottle neck to seal it and unscrewed forbottle opening. A snap type stopper may include an inner annular areaand the bottle neck fixation feature may include outer fixation ring, inorder to slot in force the stopper on the bottle neck. A snap typestopper may include a tamper shell with a movable sealing roof from aclosed position to a partial opening position, and reversely. The roofmay be separated upon opening or may be connected to the tamper shell.

In a bottle sealing position of the stopper, the tamper shell may besecured around the bottle neck through inner shell retaining features orthrough the retaining features diameter being smaller than a diameter ofa tamper shell of the bottle neck.

The roof may be removable. During bottle opening, the bridges form aweakness line and may be torn apart from the roof, separating it fromthe bottle. The weakness line may be torn when user unscrews the tampershell of the stopper or when user lifts the roof by tilting.

There is a recycling risk with separable roof as consumers may notalways screw or snap back the roof onto the bottle neck once empty. Thestopper may be thrown away as litter or put into the trash bin, or worsemake its way into a landfill, which is not good in view of theenvironmental considerations.

One solution includes linking the roof to the tamper shell secured onthe bottle neck, so the roof stays attached to the bottle after bottleopening. Such an attached stopper may be called a “tethered stopper.”

U.S. Pat. No. 9,010,555 teaches a plastic screw stopper including aperipheral strip between a tamper shell and a roof. Such peripheralstrip is linked to the tamper shell through a bottom weakness line andto the roof through a top weakness line. The bottom weakness line andtop weakness line are parallel and extend across the periphery of thestopper in order to incorporate one or two hinges in close proximity toeach other. When unscrewing the stopper the bottom weakness line and topweakness line tear apart, but the two hinges hold the roof on the tampershell. The roof becomes unmovable and as capable of toggling around thehinges beside of the stopper secured on the bottle neck.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,805 teaches a plastic screw stopper comprises ahelicoidal strip between a tamper shell and a roof. Such helicoidalstrip is obtained by cutting the tamper shell around the stopper. Theouter wall of the tamper shell is placed against a blade and the stopperis moved in rotation relative to the blade according to an angularstroke greater than an entire turn or more than 360°. During rotation,the stopper is being moved in an axial movement relative to the blade.The cut line forms a helicoidal weakness line which remains attached atone end to the tamper shell and at its opposite end to the roof afteropening.

Other known art prior art systems include a tethered stopper comprisinga spiral strip. The spiral strip is made during the stopper molding sothere is no cutting or slitting operations. Other known prior artsystems includes tethered stoppers comprising two strips linking theclosure shell to the tamper band secured on the bottle.

SUMMARY

This invention is a tethered plastic screw stopper where its closureshell remains attached to its tamper band after the bottle is opened byuse of a strip made into the plastic material of the stopper between thetamper band and the closure shell using a bottom weakness line and a topweakness line. Each strip remains connected to the tamper band securedon the bottle neck by a least a bottom hinge managed into the bottomweakness line. The opposite ends of each strip are directly linked tothe closure shell through a junction point.

The stopper further comprises a specific top weakness line where thejunction point of the strip with the closure shell is located over abottom bridge located at the nearest from the bottom hinge(s), so called“nearest bottom bridge” on a side of the screwing direction of theclosure shell.

Thus, the invention systematically allows the nearest bottom bridge tobe broken due to the junction point location where the closure shell andthe strip ends are upwardly moved the farthest from the tamper bandduring closure shell unscrewing motion. A force is applied on theclosest bridge due to the specific position of the junction point of theend of the strip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may beexaggerated or minimized, such as to show details of particularcomponents. Emphasis is placed on illustrating the principles of theinvention. In the figures, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic lateral view of a tethered stopper in a closedposition on a bottle.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic lateral view similar to FIG. 1 during theopening of the stopper.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal cross section view along the bottomweakness line a tethered stopper.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic horizontal cross section view along the topweakness line of the tethered stopper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure aredisclosed herein. The disclosed embodiments are merely examples that maybe embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof.As used herein, for example, exemplary, and similar terms, referexpansively to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen,model or pattern.

In some instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methodshave not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring thepresent disclosure. Therefore, specific structural and functionaldetails disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, butmerely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the presentdisclosure.

Phrasing such as ‘configured to’ perform a function, including in theclaims, can include any or all of being sized, shaped, positioned in thearrangement, and comprising material to perform the function.

Terms indicating quantity, such as ‘first’ or ‘second’ are used forexemplary and explanation purposes and are not intended to dictate thespecific ordering of a component with respect to other components. Termsindicating position such as ‘top’ or ‘bottom’ and ‘left’ or right’ areused for exemplary and explanation purposes with respect to othercomponents.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. Thedescribed embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations ofimplementations set for a clear understanding of the principles of thedisclosure. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made tothe described embodiments without departing from the scope of theclaims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations areincluded herein by the scope of this disclosure and the claims.

This invention relates to a tethered plastic screw stopper 100 forclosing a bottle neck 102. The stopper 100 is integrally made of oneplastic piece by a molding fabrication step. Other parts or elements ofthe stopper 100 can be further created into the entire plastic piecethrough a cutting or slitting step.

The stopper 100 is a screw type and comprises inner fixation features,such as thread(s), designed to cooperate with outer complementaryfixation features made on the bottle neck 102.

In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the screwingdirection of the stopper 100 is typically clockwise and extends fromright to left. The screwing orientation is represented as a directionalarrow in FIGS. 1 through 4. The unscrewing direction of the stopper 100oppositely extends relative to the screw direction, so counterclockwisefrom left to right. In other embodiments, the screwing direction can bedesigned counterclockwise.

The stopper 100 comprises a closure shell 104 and underneath a tamperband 106. The tamper band 106 and the closure shell 104 are separablylinked together by way of a strip 108.

In some embodiments, the stopper 100 includes one strip 108. In otherembodiments, the stopper 100 includes two or more strips 108. Forexample, the stopper 100 includes two strips 108 positioned on oppositesides of the stopper 100. The two strips 108 can be positioned in asymmetrical or asymmetrical layout.

The strip 108 is separably connected to the closure shell 104 through aplurality of top bridges 112 that form a top weakness line 110.Similarly, the strip 108 is separably connected to the tamper band 106through a plurality of bottom bridges 116 that form a bottom weaknessline 114.

The bottom weakness line 114 comprises at least one hinge 118 configuredto connect the strip 108 and the tamper band 106. In some embodiments,the bottom weakness line 114 comprises two hinges 118 where each hinge118 connects a respective strip 108 to the tamper band 106. The twohinges 118 can be spaced through a hole or a less thick material managedinto the tamper band 106 between the two hinges 118.

The top bridges 112 and bottom bridges 116 are each configured to bestretched and ultimately broken when unscrewing the closure shell 104.The top and bottom bridges 112, 116 are regularly or irregularlypositioned around the perimeter of the top and bottom weakness lines110, 114 respectively. However, at the location of the hinge(s) 118, thetop and bottom bridges 112, 116 are not present.

Each strip 108 comprises an extremity at an end of the top weakness line110, linking the strip 108 with the closure shell 104 at a junctionpoint 120. For example, in the embodiment having two strips 108, thereis a junction point 120 at each end of the top weakness line 110,linking the extremity of each strip 108 to the closure shell 104.

The top weakness line 110 is configured in order to form an end 122 ofthe strip 108 positioned above a bottom bridge 116 located at thenearest to the hinge 118 on the left side of the hinge considering aclockwise screwing direction of the closure shell 104. When facing thestopper looking at the hinge(s) 118, if the screw direction isclockwise, then the junction point of the left strip relative to thehinge 118 is located over the nearest left bottom bridge 116 (denotedwith parallel vertical lines in FIG. 2).

The end of the top weakness line located on the left of the hinge 118for a clockwise screwing stopper is angularly located between −40° to40° relative to the vertical axis of the bottom bridge 116 located atthe nearest from the hinge 118. In some embodiments, the hinge 118 ismore particularly located between −20° to 20° relative to the verticalaxis of the bottom bridge 116 located at the nearest from the hinge 118.For example, when looking at the hinge 118, the junction point 120 ofthe left strip 108 is angularly situated approximately 20° relative tothe left nearest bottom bridge 116. Such angular variation is shown inthe drawings illustrated in dotted lines on FIGS. 3 and 4.

In some embodiments, the top weakness line 110 is asymmetric relative tothe bottom weakness line 114 which is symmetric relative to a verticalplane crossing the diameter of the stopper 100. So when molding orfurther slitting the stopper 100, the top weakness line 110 is angularlyswitched or turned offset in relation with the position of the hinge(s)118 of the bottom weakness line 114. Thus, one strip 108 (e.g., the leftstrip) in a clockwise screwing configuration, is shorter than theopposite strip 108 (e.g., the right strip). In other embodiments, suchas show in FIG. 3, the bottom weakness line 114 is symmetric relative toa vertical plane crossing the diameter of the stopper 100 where theplane being shown by a fine continuous line.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it willbe apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many moreembodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scopeof this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tethered plastic screw stopper, comprising: aclosure shell; a tamper band separably connected to the closure shell bya plurality of bridges that connect a bottom edge of the closure shellto a top edge of the tamper band, each of the bridges configured to bestretched and broken when the closure shell is moved from a firstorientation prior to opening to a second orientation after opening; astrip connected to the closure shell at a junction point, the stripcomprising an extremity at an end of the top weakness line positionedabove a first set of bridges located along the bottom weakness line; anda hinge linking the strip and the tamper band, the hinge beingpositioned beneath a set of bridges located along the top weakness line.2. The tethered plastic screw stopper according to claim 1, whereinconsidering a clockwise screwing motion stopper configuration, the endof the top weakness line located to the left of the hinge of the stopperis located over a bottom bridge of the bottom weakness line located atthe nearest from the hinge relative to the clockwise screwing direction.3. The tethered plastic screw stopper according to claim 1, wherein theend of the top weakness line is located on the left of the hinge and isangularly positioned within 40° of the vertical axis of the bottombridge located at the nearest from the hinge considering a clockwisescrewing motion configuration.
 4. The tethered plastic screw stopperaccording to claim 1, wherein the end of the top weakness line islocated on the left of the hinge and is angularly positioned within 20°of the vertical axis of the bottom bridge located at the nearest fromthe hinge considering a clockwise screwing motion configuration.
 5. Thetethered plastic screw stopper according to claim 1, wherein the topweakness line is asymmetric relative to the bottom weakness line whichis symmetric relative to a vertical plane crossing a diameter of thestopper.
 6. The tethered plastic screw stopper according to claim 1,wherein: the strip is a first strip, the screw stopper further comprisesa second strip having extremity at an end of the top weakness line,linking section the strip with the closure shell at a second junctionpoint, the second strip is separably connected to the closure shellthrough a top weakness line and to the tamper band through a bottomweakness line and the second strip is positioned opposite the firststrip about a diameter of the tamper band.